LilDragonCreations

November 7, 2023. After being unexpectedly laid off in September, I was slightly late in sending the swaps I had signed up for out due to suddenly having to start job hunting as a full time job. Each night when I'd stop to switch gears, I was mentally exhausted and just not able to craft. I did get everything out and mailed, but I know I was late in getting everything ranked. As of today, every swap has been ranked and accounted for.

September 2023 update: Its been a long year. I lost the drive to swap for a while after some highly negative experiences in some other swapping groups (Not this one) and needed to walk away for as long as I needed. I am ready to swap again on a limited basis, I miss the anticipation of having fun crafty mail come! Plus I need to really start to use up some of my paper stash. Gonna be active on a limited basis, and see how it goes. :)

January 2022 - I live in Phoenix, love Halloween & Christmas, and making others happy with my art. I do a little of everything to keep from being bored. 2 cats, full time job, 2 kids, no husband anymore ;). 1 is halfway through college, the other is a freshman at the University of Manoa at Hawai'i this year.

I DID manage to go back to school, so that is now taking priority and a lot of time nights and weekends, when I would normally be crafting.

Resin, polymer clay, junk journaling, mixed media, Cricut crafting, acrylic painting, card making, scrap booking, mold making, some jewelry. Slowly learning water color and oil pastels.

I've worked (a few years) as a professional art instructor at a local paint and sip type studio, I've taught at Joanns and Michaels both (and will never do that again for either store). You name it, I've probably taught it - except for anything to do with a sewing machine. :) That is one frontier I have not wandered into yet.

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!! Not the gore, but everything else about it. Traditional, gothic, creepy cute "spoopy", vintage, ALL. OF. IT. :)

I picked books because books. Too many individual titles so I'll just go with some of my top authors off top of my head. Gena Showalter, Kim Harrison, Sherilyn Kenyon, Kresley Cole, Diane Gabaldon, Anne Rice, JK Rowling (I still have to list her due to my everlasting love of Harry Potter - I DO NOT agree with her political views regarding trans people. I am a PROUD rainbow supporter in all its forms.). Anne McCaffrey, are some of the big ones. There are many others as well. I love many many authors found in Kindle Unlimited - dozens of which are self published.

In terms of genre, I mostly go for escapist fiction, be it historical, paranormal, or fantasy.

What I would appreciate: Unusual or vintage ephemera (post cards, signs, etc) (I adore Tim Holtz' style) of any holiday. I scan them in and reprint them so I never use the original. Washi tape samples are good. Trims & Ribbons are good. Stickers! yay Stickers! Anything Disney, Harry Potter, Halloween, christmas - all appreciated. unusual buttons, charms, anything small and flat that can be used in mixed media is welcome too. Paper ONLY if it is a pretty, cool, holiday specific, vintage, or a handmade by you background...cause thats always cool! New for 2022 - I hopped aboard the planner wagon. I have 3. A personal/everyday/home one, one for work, and an art/creative one. I will appreciate stickers, planner supplies, etc. I decided on the disc system, The Happy Planner style, but some of the stuff I use is generic and off amazon. (my work planner is all generic / off brand paper inserts and discs. why not when it works just as well?)

Atc's Memory Dex cards, bookmarks, greeting cards - anything like that that's handmade I will treasure and keep!

Heidi Swapp branded items - YES YES PLEASE Tim Holtz branded items - YES YES PLEASE Tonic studios, Graphic 45 papers - all YES YES too please.

Bookmarks - I collect them so any size, type, style, handmade or storebought...YES YES PLEASE

Fantasy - this is the one area of paper items I will always say yes too. doesn't matter what type of fantasy, it's always yes.

I LOVE DRAGONS. I LOVE UNICORNS AND OTHER HORSE LIKE CREATURES. Anything to do with these I will squeal with happiness like a little girl.

Items like a sheet of basic stamped images that I can color in - that would be cool! thats different!

patterned tissue paper and decoupage / collage paper also are ok please.

Non paper items: um... ask? I can't think of any right now.

I will update this list as I think of more things to add to both

I have been working very hard to keep my rating at all 5s. I have participated in swaps for over a decade as of 2023. So please, contact me first, I will bend over backwards to make it right for you.

Additionally, I LOVE sending extra goodies out with each swap - sometimes I get a bit carried away - but I try to make each thing I send out over the top and something I would love to recieve. Any questions - don't hesitate to ask.

Any swaps I host, and there will be a more than a few as we head into the holiday season, I will ALWAYS angel if needed. No questions asked.

What I really DON'T need: BASIC paper pieces. I have way too much of those to begin with. Please. Seriously. I am drowning in them. I have more cardstock than I can use in a lifetime, and a stack of 12x12 paper pads that is LITERALLY 4 feet tall. I own 2 Cricut machines, so unless what you have is super rare or one of the exceptions listed above, please keep it and/or send it to someone else that is still building their stash up. I am trying to clean mine out some LOL.

Please, no overtly religious items. I am not religious - I have my personal spirituality and I am good without the bible verses, crosses, etc.. Please save them and send them to someone that would use them, and not just toss it in the trash. :)

book pages - I have a collection of about 12 vintage, damaged, and well used books ranging from old encyclopedias to novels found at the dollar store. I have enough book pages to last me till next century :)

Napkins - I had them listed as a yes but honestly - I Have 2 massive bins of them, and I don't use them at all.

Small note: Please, no tea packages in swaps. I will either send them out to someone else, or toss them, but I don't drink tea or coffee.

What can You send then? I love hot cocoa, apple cider, and I have found the ONE tea I drink on a daily basis that I love. Oregon Chai Latte is soo good. I recently discovered that it is sold in tea bags! But it has to be that brand. I've tried other Chai Latte tea bags, and its just not the same taste.

I will update this list as I think of more things to add to both

The non-secular side of Christmas that is. As noted above, I am not religious in any way, but the festive side, the decorations, and the Christmas flowers, santa, snowmen - I love it all.